Connector for joining with agricultural drip tape

Abstract

A connector for joining agricultural drip tape. The connector includes a rigid tubular body having a tapered trust conical enlargement at its free end over which the free end of the drip tape is pressed and held by an assembly nut having a single entry female thread that threadably engages the tubular body male threads by a pre-determined angular advance of the assembly nut. The environment of use for agricultural drip tape is one of debris and mud consequently; the assembly nut contains a wiper window opening through which debris and mud are expelled from the connection as the assembly nut advances axially along the threads of the tubular body. Indicia on both the assembly nut and on the tubular body may be relatively positioned depending upon the thickness of the tape to form a consistently reliable seal.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]A connector to which the free end of a length of drip tape can readily and releasably be joined.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]In this specification the term “drip tape” will be used to describe this precise product and also any other type of drip conduit, including those in round form more properly described as tubes or tubing. These terms are used interchangeably in this specification. All these products are made of organic plastic material, usually with thin walls. They include in their length a series of spaced-apart emitters.[0003]Emitters are passages through the walls from the lumen of the tape to its outside. They permit controlled flow of water through the wall at their specific places along the length of the tape and allow water to flow through them at a limited rate into the soil on or in which the tape is laid or implanted. These provide for application of water in known amounts at precise locations relative to the crop, plant, or tree, ther...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0013]The above can be accomplished while held in the hands. However, this is very difficult in the field. Although not shown, for this purpose, a bench tool is provided with a fixed fork to hold the body during the assembly process. The tubular body has a set of wrench flats for engagement by the fork to free the worker's hands for more important use. To prevent the nut from prematurely jamming, thereby restricting the axial advance of the nut as it engages the body threads; the nut includes a wiper window at the compressive end of the nut which permits mud or dirt deposits on the body male thread to be dredged through the opening as the nut threads onto the tubular body.

Problems solved by technology

Opposed to this consideration is that over-tightening can cause the nut to cut the tape thereby destroying the connection.

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